Starting A New Career As A Gunsmith

by Rob Smith on August 9, 2012

Most workers if asked if they are satisfied with their job will say no. Therefore it is no surprise that many people are planning to change careers. One area that is showing an increase in interest is gunsmithing. Today’s outlook on firearms is changing in favor of firearms as more and more states are relaxing their laws and allowing more law abiding citizens to carry firearms. Additionally, Television shows that are centered on firearms and gunsmithing are being aired on prime time television and resulting in a higher interest. What does it take to become a gunsmith and what should one interested in becoming a gunsmith consider?

One of the first questions asked before starting a new career is; how much money will I earn as a gunsmith? And rightfully so! The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t keep statistics for gunsmiths however it is believed they earn between $30K and $6oK annually depending on location, if you’re self-employed or work for a manufacture or retailer. There are a few tips to help increase your in which we will talk about in a little bit.

Another question asked is how much will school cost? The cost really depends on the type of school you plan to attend. Your choice ranges from attending a University and receiving a Bachelor’s Degree, trade school or simply takes an online course. Although the type of training will vary from each type of school there is an option that will fit your budget.

An area of learning that will be impacted depending on the type of school you choose will be the type of equipment you will have access to and the ability to learn how to operate them. For example, if you attend a trade school or take a gunsmithing class at a College or University you will have access to lathes and other pieces of large equipment. On the other hand, if you choose to take an online course you will have access to course material but not the larger pieces of equipment.

As I alluded to earlier in this article, there are a few ways you can increase your income as a gunsmith but first I want to discuss two different types of income. The first being linear income, this type of income is best described as trading hours for dollars. You are limited by the hours you can work in a day and the amount of money someone is willing to pay you for that hour of work. The other is Passive Income and is a far better model for earning money. The idea here is to create something one time and get paid for it over and over. Let’s say as a gunsmith you create a video on How To Do A Trigger Job”. Now say you place this video for sale on the internet or at various gunsmith businesses. You created a product one time but keep getting paid for it over and over again.